Save Money on College Textbooks
College is already expensive enough. Education is placed at a premium, and it seems that the textbooks that come with it are as hefty on the pocket. Where three years ago, 43 percent would’ve bought the necessary college textbooks without question, now, the number’s down to just 35%.
Where textbooks are crucial in education, how do you save on these expenses without having to wing it without them and simply hope for the best? Here are a few tips:
1. Borrow the book from the library. As college student Rob Christensen has discovered, the overdue fines he accumulated for a semester-late book turned out to be way cheaper than having bought the book itself. Of course, you don’t actually get to keep the book.
2. Borrow the book from upperclassmen.
3. Share the book among your friends and split the costs.
4. Older editions are a lot cheaper, and sometimes the only difference is that they don’t have study guides or supplementary software that cause textbook prices to skyrocket.
5. Order the book overseas via website. Some textbooks have been repackaged into a low-price edition for exactly that purpose.
Jennifer Libertowski, a spokeswoman for the college-store association, noted that “there’s definitely a value shift,” considering how students nowadays increasingly cringe at the prices of college textbooks, yet don’t hesitate to pick up the newest cellphone or latest iPod. The average college student spends about 644$ on textbooks, which is equivalent to a third of what they spend on entertainment.
“The real outrage should be directed at the suggestion that textbooks are a legitimate place to scrimp,” wrote Patricia Schroeder, a former Colorado congresswoman who is the association’s president, in a recent newspaper commentary.
via Seattle Times
(image from emporia.edu)
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1 opinion for Save Money on College Textbooks
Brianne
Nov 25, 2006 at 3:58 pm
Don’t forget to check out your local used book stores! We have one in particular in our town that buys and sells used textbooks. The good think about them, other than the cheaper price, is that they also know what’s up to date and what’s not - which will ensure that you don’t unknowingly purchase an edition that won’t do you any good.
And then when you’re done - they’ll ususally buy it back from you! (assuming it’s still in use)
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